Floor construction.



H. S. CHEW.

y FLOOR CONSTRUCTION' APPpicATloN FILED SEPLS, 1913, RENEWED Dsc. 12.1916.

1,2625449. PatentedApr. 9,1918.

ATTORNEY wan TAT@ AN FFllil.

RICHARD S. CHEW, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

FLOOR CONSTRUCTION.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 11918.

Application filed September 8, 1913, Serial No. 788,570. Renewed December 12, 1916. Serial No. 136,544.

improvements in the typeof floor construetion on which Letters Patent No. 1,054,338 was issued to me February 25, 1913.

The purpose of this invention is to so improve the structure disclosed in the abovenamed patent as to render it less costly and adapt it for light and cheap construction where the expense of its application wouldv prohibit its use; it being well known that expense is an important item in building` operations and that structures are engineered to limit the use of excess material.

The broad object of this invention is substantially the same as shown in the abovenamed patent; which in brief is to form a substantial support for a circular or Octagonal concrete slab upon posts or columns disposed at the four corners of a square by means of rectangularly arranged girders and diagonal cornerplates or mats, and without the use of bear is bridging the space between the girders.

Another object is to provide a support for a circular or octagonal slab in which the weight of the slab and superposed loads thereon will be transmitted peripherally of the slab to diagonally arranged rectangular mats or plates disposed at the four corners of a square; the strains being delivered from the slab to rectangularly arrangedgirders connecting the corners of and opening the spaces between the diagonal mats at points' mediate the mats, and also directly along the diagonal sides of the mat.

A further object is to provide a reinforced mat or plate for binding, connecting and supporting a series of four rectangularly arranged circular or octagonal slabs across the space between thediagonally opposite slabs.

The invention primarily resides in a rectangular arrangement of girders which may be either I-beams or reinforced concrete, a wire fabric or similar reinforcement spanning the space inclosed by the girders, and a rectangular mat or plate formed of intercrossing rods interconnected with the girders at each of the corners of the space mclosed by the girders; said mat yarranged with its sides diagonal to the girders, as

1n the drawings A and B represent rectangularly arranged intersecting girders which are supported at their ends, or oint of intersection, upon columns of any suitable construction. The girders A and B'may be formed of rods, as shown in Figs. '1 and 3,

or may consist of -beams, as indicated at" A and B in Fig. 4L. f v

Supported on the girders A and B, ,and

extending across the rectangular space C,

inclosed by the girders, is' a woven wire fabric 2, or similar material, which forms a reinforcement in the body of a concrete slab spanning the space C.

The essence of this invention resides in disposing a rectangular mat formed of intercrossing rods at ythe points of intersection of the girders A and B, with the sides of the mats arranged ldiagonal to the girders'. Each mat is here shown as comprising a series of spaced parallel rods 8 which cross a second series of corresponding rods A at right angles thereto; the rods 8 and 4 being of such length that the outermost rods a will span the corners of the space C and project a short distance beyond the girders A vand B; the length of the span of the outermost rods c being-approximately two-fifths of the length'off span of the girders A and B so as to inclose the space C surrounded by' the girders A and B and the rods a with an octagonal frame, the sides of which are alternately formed by the rods a andthe vgirders A and B and coincide with a circle of a diameter equal to the span of the girders. This circle is indicated by dotted lines b in Fig. l and represents the boundary or periphery of a circular slab of concrete which is supported by the girders A and B. The

length of the rods 3 and 4 is also such that their endswill project a short distance into the circular periphery of the slab defined by the dotted line b, thus forming a bond between the slab and contiguous panels D comprising the interspaces between the adjacent circular slabs in the spaces C; the panels D being formed integral with the slabs in the spaces C and reinforced throughout by the intercrossing rods 3 and 4, and the fabric 2. j

In some instances it may be desirable to further reinforce the mat or plate by interposing rods 5 between adjacent rods 3 and rods 4, which rods 5 may be of smaller diameter and shorter in lengththan the rods 3 and 4. A

It is manifest 'that the rods 3 4 and 5 may be arranged in their superimposed relation to each other in any desired manner, and that their relative dimensions may be varied as occasion may require, and that they may be either spaced above the girders A and B, interwoven therewith, or placed in any other arrangement relative to the girders A and B.

In assembling the various elements, a suitable mold is formed and the girder members are set in place with the woven wire fabric supported thereon. Concrete or other cementitious or plastic material is then spread on the mold to embed the girders and fabric therein. The mat consisting of the rods 3, 4 and 5 is then put in place; the lower layer of rods being spaced in the concrete body a short distance above the fabric' 2, with the top layer close to the upper surface of the floor. A monolithic structure will thus be formed; the component parts of which can be so arranged'and engineered as to obtain a structure having a predetermined strength or supporting capacity with a minimum amount of material, and which is particularly adapted for light and cheap construction.

Loads on the slabs in the spaces C will be transmitted diagonally of the spaces C directly to the diagonal sides of the mats or plates in the spaces D, and also to the portions of the girders A and B extending between the mats which girders serve to transmit the strains delivered thereto to the corners of the mats. By reason of this action of the girders A and B, they may, (where rods are employed), terminate in the mats and not be carried into the columns. The mats will therefore carry the entire load and transmit it to the columns arranged at their centers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a monolithic floor construction, a series of intersecting girders arranged to define a substantially rectangular space, and a series of mats arranged one over each of the points of intersection of the girders and having a free space between their adjacent portions, said mats being of rectangular outline and diagonally arranged with respect to the girders so that the sides of the mats will extend across the angles formed between adjacent beams whereby the sides of the.

mats and the free parts of the beams between the mats define an octagonal outline which incloses a free circular space, said mats being composed of superimposed short rods arranged at substantially right angles to each other and long rodsalso arranged at substantially right angles to each other, the long and short rods being arranged in alternating relation, said long rods of the mats forming a continuous circular space, and a cementitious body inclosing the mats and girders so as to be supported by said last named rods without the use of rods in the spaces between the mats.

2. In a monolithic floor construction, a series of intersecting girders arranged to deline a substantially rectangular space having right angled corners, a series of crossed rods arranged over each corner and forming substantially rectangular mats, said mats being diagonally arranged with respect to the girders and having their sides spanning the corners of the rectangular space, and a slab of plastic material filling said rectangular space and embedding said mats and girders, whereby the slab is supported throughout its perimeter upon the girders and receives support and reinforcement for its corners from the crossed rods, said rods being upwardly curved to form crown mats permitting the entry of plastic material between the intermediate portions of the crossed rods and the girders. Y

In testimony vwhereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

mennen s. cin-iw.

Witnesses:

W. W. HEALEY, Jon HARRISON.

Copies of thisipatent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

